Cabinet index



June 30, 1931. s. ANTHONY 1,311,833

CABINET INDEX Filed Feb. 7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 JiWilifli? qy flreiz7y June 30, 1931. s, ANTHQNY 1,811,838

CABINET INDEX Filed Feb. 7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Isis W307? PatentedJune 30, 1931 UNITED STATES STANLEY ANTHONY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTSCABINET INDEX Application filed February 7; 1930. Serial No. 426,572.

This invention relates to cabinet indexes and pertams more partlcularlyto lmprovements in indexes ofthe type in which index material is mountedupon movable carriers or supporting members which are normally housed inupright position within a cabinet and which are mounted to swing invertical planes into and out of the cabinet.

In my copending application for card index, Serial No. 223,891, filedOctober 1, 1927,

I have described and claimed an index device ofthe aforesaid typein'which thecard panel-s are'mounted upon elongate supporting memberspivoted at their upper ends to lever arms which are pivoted in turn toupright supports arranged at the rear of the cabinet, the pivotsconnecting the arms to their respective supports being remote from theupper ends of said supports so that the arms moveangularly with respectto the supporting members when said members are swung outwardly anddownwardly of the cabinet. In this arrangement it is necessary toprovide means for limiting the downward swing of the lever arms in orderto stop the outward movement of the panel holders, and

in my said application I provide a stop member and brace pivoted to eachof the upright supports I and linked to the corresponding lever arm tolimit the movement of the arm.

While this construction is generally satis factory, I have found thatthe necessity of a separate stop member may be obviated and that theconstruction and operation of the index is improved by so arranging thecon-v necting means that a single member or arm will serve to connectthe panel-supporting members to the upright supports for swing ingmovement outwardly of the cabinet, and to limit such outward movement.It is accordingly the principal object of the present invention toprovide an elongate arm pivoted to the upright support andslidablyconnected to the panel-supportingmember or carrier so'that thecarriermay move a limited distance longitudinally of the arm and isrestrained from angular movement with respect to the arm. Another objectis to provide a latch also pivoted'to the support and arranged to engagethe arm when the sup porting member is extended, thereby to preventupward movement of said arm and membe A recommended embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective Viewof a cabinet index equipped with'theimproved connecting means, one of the carriers being swung outwardlytodisplay the index cards carried by a pair of panels pivotallymounted'on the carrier I Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the indexcabinet showing the extended carrier and its connecting members inelevation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of the car-. rier and connecting arm inclosed position within the cabinet; I

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of a portion (Ii f the 1 connecting membersillustrated in Fig. 5 is a similar view showing an intermegliateposition of the connecting members; an I Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6of Fig. 4.

As more fully described in my said application, the index preferablycomprises a cabinet 1 having vertical compartments open atthe front andseparated by parallel upright partitions 2 and having a hinged shelf3'normally supported in front of the cabinet and provided with foldablewings 4, the upper surface of the shelf constituting a forward extensionof the cabinet bottom 5, the bottom 5 and shelf 3 having aligned tracks6 and 7 respectively; a panel-supporting member or carrier 8 normallyhoused in upright position within eachcompartment and and connectingmeans for supporting and guiding the upper end of the carrier 8 duringits movement outwardly and downwardly of the compartment. The shelf 3 isarranged to swing upwardly over the open front of the cabinet and, incase the shelf is shorter than the height of the cabinet, a hinged covermay be provided to fold over the upper portion of the cabinet front,thereby to close the cabinet when the index is not in use.

The connecting elements which constitute the subject matter of thepresent invention preferably comprise a rigid upright support 16 havingflanged ends fastened as by screws 17 to the top and bottom ofthe'cabinet at; the rear of each compartment, and an elongate arm 18pivoted at 19 to the upright 17 within the upper portionof the cabinetand slidably connected to the carrier 8 so that the carrier may slidelongitudinally over the outer edge of the arm. The under side of thecarrier preferably has one or more pairs of opposed brackets or guides20 arranged to straddle the link 18 and the complemental guides carry atransverse pin or bolt 21 which passes through an elongate slot 22formed in the link. Hence the carrier- 8 is held flatwise upon the outeredge of the arm 18 and is slidable longitudinally of said arm, theextent of such sliding movement being limited by the length of the slot22.

he carrier S'may be substantially as long as the height of thecompartment and its lower end is preferably provided with a groovedroller 23 traveling on the raised tracks 6 and 7 and supporting thebottom of said carrier and its card panels. The side flanges of thegrooved roller guide the roller along the track and effectively preventtransverse displacement of the lower end of the carrier during outwardor inward movement of the rollers. Such movement is usually effected bygrasping the outer edges of the folded panels near the bottom thereofand swinging the panels and their supporting and connecting membersoutwardly or inwardly of the cabinet as desired. When in itsoutermostposition (Figs. 1, 2 and 1), the panel-supportng member 8 is held at theproper inclination over the shelf 3 by the arm 18 which supports itsupper end, for it will be noted that the connection between these partsconstrains the carrier to move parallel; to the arm, thereby preventingrelative angular movement thereof, and that the downwardly slidingmovement of the member 8 on link '18 is limited by the abutment of thelowermost pin 21 at the end of the link slot 22.

In order to prevent the connected members 8 and 18 from swingingupwardly on the pivot 19 when the panel-supporting member is fullyextended (Fig. 2) I preferably provide a latch 24 pivoted at. 25 to theupright 16 at a point below the pivot 19 and provided with a transversehook or stud 26 near its outer end arranged to engage over the outeredge of the arm 18. Said arm preferably has a notch 27 (Figs. land 5)receiving the hook 26 in said extended position, so that the arm andcarrier are held at a fixed inclination to the cabinet front. Thepivoted latch swings substantially in the plane of the arm 18 andupright 16 so that, when the carrier 8 is pushed upwardly to carry thepanels into the cabinet compartment, the lower edge of the latch isengaged by the flange 12 (Fig. 5) and the latch is carried upwardly toits closed position (Fig. 3) alongside the upright 16. Said upright mayhave an edge recess 28 receiving the hook 26 in said closed position. Asthe carrier 8 is again withdrawn from the cabinet, the latch swingsdownwardly by action of gravity with its lower edge sliding on theflange 12 until the hook 26 engages the outer edge of arm 18 and finallylocks within notch 27.

The operation of the index is apparent from the foregoing description,and it will be observed that the carrier 8, the upright support 16,connecting arm 18 and latch 24 may be assembled as a unit andmounted inthe cabinet with the upright arranged at proper position according tothe depth of the cabinet. The improved connecting elements may beeconomically manufactured, and, as said members are normally concealedwithin the cabinet even when the panels areextended, they may be made ofinexpensive materials. The dimensions of the parts may be such as toconform to a cabinet of any desired size, and it is apparent that themovable parts swing readily without binding. It Will be understood thatstructural details of the cabinet index herein described may be variedto suit particular purposes without departing from the'essence of myinvention, as defined in the appended claims.

From the foregoing it is evidentthat the principal feature of thisinvention is the provision of an improved cabinet index comprising acarrier or panel-supporting mem ber normally housed in upright positionwithin the cabinet with its lower end supported by the cabinet bottom,an arm pivoted within the upper portion of the cabinet and so con nectedto the carrier that the carrier is slidable along the arm parallelthereto when its lower end is moved outwardly of the cabinet onto asuitable support, and means, preferably associated with the connectionbetween the arm and slidable carrier, for-limiting the outward movementof the carrier, so that the carrier is supported at an inclination tothe cabinet front in its extended position, as indicated in Fig. 2. Thelatch for restraining swinging movement of the extended arm and carrierand the track and cooperating roller for guiding the lower end of thecarrier are desirable features of the improved complete index; but theprecise character, construction orting the lower end of the carrierwhenv 1t is moved outwardly of the cabinet, and

means for limiting the outward movement of the carrier so that theextended carrler is supported at an lnchnation to the cabinet front.

2. An index comprising a cabinet open at the front, a movable carriernormally housed in upright position within the cabinet with its lowerend supported by the cabinet bottom, an arm pivoted within the upper-portion of the cabinet and connected to the carrier so that the carrieris slidable along the arm, said connection constraining the carrier tomove parallel to the arm, means for supporting the lower end of thecarrier when it is moved outwardly of the cabinet, and complementalmeans on the arm and carrier for limiting outward movement of thecarrier so that the extended carrier is supported at an inclination tothe cabinet front. 3. An index comprising a cabinet open at the front, amovable carrier normally housed in upright position within the cabinetwith its lower end supported by the cabinet bottom, an arm pivotedwithin the upper por- 4 tion of the cabinet and connected to the carrierso that the carrier is slidable along the arm, said connectionconstraining the carrier to move parallel to the'arm, means forsupporting the lower end of the carrier when it is moved outwardly ofthe cabinet, means for limiting outward sliding movement of the carrierrelative to the arm so that the extended carrier is supported at aninclination to the cabinet fr0nt, and means engaging the ")0 arm whenthe carrier is extended for restraining upward swinging of the arm andcarrier.

4. An index comprising a cabinet open at the front, an arm pivotedwithin the upper portion of the cabinet for swinging movement toward thecabinet front, a carrier having guides slidable along opposite sides ofthe arm so that the carrier is movable longitudinally of the arm, thecarrier being nor 63 mally housed in upright position within the cabinetwith its lower end resting on the cabinet bottom, means for supportingthe lower end of the carrier when it is moved outwardly of the cabinet,and stop means 5 limiting outward movement of the guides on ported at aninclination to the cabinet front.

5. An index comprising a cabinet open at the front, an arm pivotedwithin the upper portion of the cabinet for swinging movement toward thecabinet front, a carrier having guides-slidable along opposite sides ofthe arm so that the carrier is movable longi tudinally of the arm, thecarrier being normally housed in upright position within the cabinetwith its lower end resting on the cabinet bottom, means for supportingthe lower end of the carrier when it-is moved outwardly of the cabinet,the arm having'an elongate slot and the carrier having a memgber'sliding in said slot and abutting the outer end of the slot when thatcarrier is moved outwardly of the cabinet, whereby the extended carrieris supportedat an inclination to the cabinet front.

6. An index comprising a cabinet open at the front, an arm pivotedwithin the upper portion of the cabinet 'for swinging move ment towardthe cabinet front, the arm having an elongate slot therethrough, acarrier slidable longitudinally over the arm and having pairs of opposedguides straddling the arm, pins carried by the opposed guides andextending through said slot, whereby the carrier is constrained to moveparallel to the 9}; arm, the outward movement of the carrier beinglimited by the abutment of one of said pins at the outer end ofthe slot,the carrier being normally housed in upright position within the cabinetwith its lower end r-esta? ing upon the cabinet bottom and being movableoutwardly thereof in a vertical plane. and means for supporting thelower end of the carrier when it is moved outwardly to extendedposition;

7; An index comprising a cabinet open at the front, an arm pivoted wthinthe upper portion of the cabinet for swinging movement toward thecabinet front, acarrier having guides slidable along opposite sides ofthe arm so that the carrier is movable longitudinally of the arm, thecarrier being normally housed in upright position within the cabinetwith its lower end resting on the cabinet bottom, means for sup- 11porting the lower end of the carrier when it is moved outwardly of thecabinet, stop means limiting outward movement of the carrier guides onthe arm so that the extended carrier is supported at an inclination tothe 1 0 cabinet front, and a latch pivoted within the cabinet andengaging the arm when the carrier is extended, thereby to prevent upwardswinging movement of the arm and carrier.

8. An index comprising a cabinet open atigg; the front,an uprightsupport mountedwithin the rearward portion of the cabinet, an

arm pivoted to said support .at the upper portion of the cabinet forswinging movement toward its front, a carrier slidably connect- Q ed tothearm and normally housed in up I right position within the cabinetalongside the support, the arm having a longitudinal slot therethroughand the under side of the a carrier having a transverse connectingmember extending through the slot and movable longitudinally thereof sothat the carrier is constrained to slide along the arm in a directionparallel to the arm, when the lower end of the carrier is moved inwardlyor outwardly of the cabinet, and means for supporting said lower endwhen the carrier is moved to extended position in front of the cabinet,said transverse connecting member abutting the end of the slot when thecarrier is extended, thereby V to limit the outward movement of thecarrier and support the carrier at an inclination to the cabinet front.

9. An index comprising a cabinet open at the front, an upright supportfastened at top and bottom adjacent the rear of the cabinet, an armpivoted to said support at the upper portion of the cabinet for swingingmovement toward its front, a carrier slidably connected to the arm andnormally housed in upright position within the cabinet alongside thesupport, the arm having a longitudinal slot therethrough and the underside of the carrier having a transverse connecting member extendingthrough the slot and movable longitudinally thereof so that the carrieris constrained to slide over the outer surface of the arm in a directionparallel to the arm when the lower end of the carrier is moved inwardlyof the cabinet, and means for supporting said lower end when the carrieris moved to extended position in front of the cabinet, said transverseconnecting member abutting the outer end of the slot when the carrier isfully extended, thereby to limit the outward movement of the carrier andsupport the carrier at an inclination to the cabinet front, and a latchpivoted to the upright support below the arm pivot and swinging in a.plane parallel to that of the arm, the arm having a notch in its outeredge and the latch having a transverse hook adjacent its free endengaging in said notch when the carrier is fully extended, thereby toprevent upward swinging movement of the arm and carrier.

10. An index comprising a cabinet open at the front, and-having a shelfsupported at its open front and constituting an extension of the cabinetbottom, a carrier normally lioused in upright position within thecabinet, the cabinet bottom and shelf having aligned tracks leadingoutwardly of the cabinet and the lower end of the carrier having agrooved roller traveling on said tracks thereby to guide and support thebottom of the carrier when it is moved toward and from the cabinet andto restrain transverse displacement of the carrier, an arm pivoted netfront.

Signed by mev at Boston, Massachusetts, 3

this fifth day of February, 1930.

STANLEY ANTHONY.

